Detroit Lions Draft Iowa TE Sam LaPorta 34th Overall

A day after picking running back Jahmyr Gibbs in Round 1, the Detroit Lions continued adding to their skill group by taking Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta 34th overall on Friday night in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook had Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer as the overwhelming favorites to be the first tight ends off the board, but LaPorta ended up being the second tight end selected (after Kincaid).

Sam LaPorta's NFL Draft Profile

LaPorta notched 670 and 656 receiving yards over his final two college seasons with the Hawkeyes.

NFL Next Gen Stats' prospect model ranks LaPorta third among tight ends in this class in athleticism score and fourth in overall score.

PlayerProfiler gives LaPorta a 79th-percentile dominator rating and 64th-percentile breakout age.

Sam LaPorta's Top Comparables

According to Brandon Gdula's NFL prospect database -- which accounts for athleticism, production, size, draft capital, age, and more historically important variables -- here are LaPorta's top five comparable players.

1. Evan Engram - 89.6%
2. Gerald Everett - 88.3%
3. David Njoku - 88.2%
4. Dustin Keller - 88.1%
5. Eric Ebron - 88.0%

Sam LaPorta in Detroit

LaPorta is joining a Detroit offense that was among the NFL's best in 2022, finishing fourth in adjusted Net Expected Points per play by numberFire's expected points model.

After dealing T.J. Hockenson last season, the Lions had a need at tight end, so LaPorta might have a decent chance to contribute in Year 1. However, as always, we shouldn't expect too much from a rookie tight end.

Detroit Lions' 2023 Outlook

The Lions are currently the NFC North favorite, per the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, as they are priced at +130 to win the division.

They're -158 to make the playoffs and boast a win total over/under of 9.5, with -122 odds on the over.

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